My favorite diner food Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches made at home easily in the slow cooker. {Gravy made at the same time!}
This is the type of meal you would see on the menu at a local diner. In fact, I would order these Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches at Marie Callender’s when I worked there years ago.
Marie Callender’s would often run these as a lunch special. This meal is heaven on a plate; bread is placed down, then beef and gravy piled on, and always served with mashed potatoes.
I believe that sourdough bread is preferred for this meal, but I LOVE Grandma Sycamore’s Homemade bread. I buy it at Fred Meyer, and the bread tastes homemade. You can find it near the Wonder bread.
How to make Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches:
This hot roast beef sandwich recipe is an easy dump and go recipe. No browning required, though if you have time and would like to brown the meat, go for it.
You will need these ingredients:
- Bottom round beef roast
- Salt and pepper
- Onion powder
- Brown gravy packets
- Water
I use a bottom round beef roast for this recipe, that is my go-to cut of meat lately. It shreds up nice, and has way less fat to pick out before serving as a chuck roast does.
Directions:
- Add the roast to the slow cooker, sprinkle salt, pepper and onion powder on all sides.
- In a small bowl whisk together the water and gravy packets, pour over the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, do not open the lid during the cooking time to ensure a tender roast.
- Remove beef from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks.
- Remove the grease from the gravy. Do this by placing paper towels over the grease. Discard.
How to serve:
- Add shredded meat over white bread or sourdough bread
- Mashed potatoes
- Ladle over gravy over everything
- Corn, green beans or green salad on the side
Slow Cooker Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 4 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 3-4 lb. bottom round beef roast chuck will work fine too
- salt
- pepper
- onion powder
- 1.74 oz. brown gravy mix packets (two .87 oz. packets)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Serving Suggestions
- white or sourdough bread
- mashed potatoes
Instructions:
- Place the roast into a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Sprinkle a small amount of salt, pepper and onion powder on to the beef.
- In a small bowl whisk together the gravy packets and water until smooth. Pour that mixture over the roast.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
- When the cooking time is done, remove the roast and place on to a plate, shred meat, discard any fat. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- De-grease the gravy in the slow cooker, I either do this by ladling off the grease with a spoon, or I take a paper towel and lay on top of the grease and pull off, the grease will come off on the paper towel, and the gravy will stay in the slow cooker.
- Serve the shredded beef and gravy over bread and with mashed potatoes.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition:
See my Chicken Version of this recipe here: Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy
I just made this but open faced on toasted onion rolls and garlic baby red mashed potatoes, its going on my recipe list for sure
I do this roast all the time but use a tin of cream of mushroom soup and a packet of French onion soup mixed together poured over the meat in the slow cooker, delicious
I call them belly bombers
The 1 carbohydrate for this recipe does not include the bread and potatoes if you are counting carbs! 🙂
i have a similar recipe for the slow cooker but was wondering if this could be in the instant pot instead and add the gravy packets in with the roast up front? the recipe i have you cook it in with the gravy packets
It’s hard to say without trying. I apologize.
Love this recipe. Growing up in a poor family with only a working mother, there was always a frozen meat/gravy entree we heated up and ate over white bread. They were cheap but filling and budget friendly.
How well this roast freeze after being made ? Do you put gravy on or do you want till your going to serve it ?
Do you have to shred the roast? If it’s tender can you just slice it down for sandwiches or serve with mashed potatoes and gravy and a vegetable like pot roast.
it will shred when you slice it, unless you cook for less time. I usually do 7 hours on low if I want to slice a roast.
You are right. Roast beef juice can be defatted and gravy from the beef alone can be made.
Why do you put those nasty tasting gravy packets in your cooking? Your beef roasts will make its own wonderful flavored gravy! Just saying …
So where is your recipe Sherli?
I make a bottom round beef roast, with a seasoning packet. Cooks for about 6 hours in crock pot. That’s dinner for one evening. The leftover beef, I slice and stew in gravy for hot roast beef sandwiches. My kids and husband love both meals
Toasting and buttering rolls before serving, adds a great touch for sandwiches
Does it matter if you use a frozen roast for this recipe? Or should I thaw out my roast first
I always take my roast from freezer to crockpot!!! I add a bottle of summer shandy beer…& 7-8 hrs later I have an incredible tasty & tender roast beef—sandwiches or as a meal with roasted veggies (or in the pot with the meat—potatoes, carrots & onions!!!!!